Face Your Fears

Every man has fears. The man who says he doesn't is either lying or not trying anything worth doing. The real question isn't whether you feel fear, it's whether you let fear lead.

In today's devotional, we look at God's charge to Joshua on the eve of battle and challenge you to stop numbing your fears through distraction and isolation, and start holding fast to God in spite of them.

Verse of the day: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

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Welcome!

The Men's Morning Devotional is a podcast to help you man up in every way - in your faith, your family and your work - by spending a few minutes getting into the Word before you face the world. 

Every weekday, you'll get a challenge and encouragement from Scripture that speaks to the pressures you carry as a husband, a father, and a leader. You’ll get truth you can take straight into your day. And you’ll know you’re not standing alone, because men everywhere are waking up to fight the same battle.

Your hosts are Steve Alessi, pastor of Metro Life Church of Miami, FL, along with his sons and other leaders of our Goodfellas men's ministry.

Join us every weekday to man up! 

MORE PODCASTS YOU'LL ENJOY

Find more podcasts about faith and family from Metro Life Studios, including:

My Morning Devotional

The Family Business with The Alessis

The Mary and Martha Show 

You can listen to all of these shows on our Metro Life Studios app here! 

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Transcript

0:02

Gentlemen, every day is a battle. A battle for your faith, your family, and your purpose. The men who stand strong don't prepare when the battle arrives. They prepare before it begins. Welcome to the Men's Morning Devotional. Let's get into God's word. It's time to man up. All right, my brother. You're halfway through the week. Welcome back to the Men's Morning Devotional. I'm Steve Alessi, and today we're going to talk about one of the most honest conversations a man can have with himself. Every man has fears. The man who says he doesn't is either lying or not trying anything worth doing. The question isn't whether you feel fear. It's whether you let fear lead.

Scripture verse says in Joshua 1: 0:58

9, have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. God said this to Joshua on the eve of leading an entire nation into a land full of giants, walled cities and unknown battles. And what he didn't say was, don't worry, it'll be easy, Joshua. No, he didn't promise Joshua a smooth road. He said, I will be with you wherever you go. Men today are facing real fears. There is a fear factor out there. There's fear of failing as a father. Fear of losing their job, their relevance, their health. Fear of not measuring up to other men, to even their own standards, and even to God's expectations. And many men are managing those fears not by facing them, but by numbing them through distraction, overwork, isolation, and some even to escape. But God doesn't command us to have no fear. He commands us to be courageous in spite of fear. The actual word for courageous, used in the language it was originally written in, which is Hebrew, meant to seize, to strengthen, to hold fast. It's not simple bravery, but something much more. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the decision to hold fast to God. Even when fear is screaming at you to retreat. Men are too often tempted to retreat, which is why at our church, we've been very intentional about what we call our men's camps. They are camps, not retreats. They are moments with God to embrace the reality of our fears, not a retreat away from our lives. Personally, here's what I've learned. The things I have feared the most and walk through anyway have produced the greatest growth in my life. Fear is often a sign that something matters. And the things that matter are exactly where God wants men to show up. Let me ask you this. What fear is keeping you small right now? What conversation haven't you had? What step haven't you taken? What dream have you buried under being realistic? It might be time to man up to it. So your midweek man up challenge is this. Name the fear that's been holding you back. Write it down. Then write this next to the Lord, my God is with me in this. Let's pray. Lord, I confess I've let fear make too many of my decisions today. I choose courage. I choose to move in the direction of what you've called me to trusting that you are with me. In Jesus name. Amen. All right gentlemen, you've heard God's word, now go live it. Lead well, stand strong, honor God in everything you do. Share this devotional with another brother and we'll see you tomorrow morning. Remember, every day is another opportunity to make man up.